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Friends,<br>
<br>
US troops have raided the offices of the Iraq Freedom Conference.
Samir Adil is the President of IFC. AFSC and the UMass Anti War
Coalition brought Samir to WMA this past spring. The IFC is at the
center of a nonviolent, democratic people's movement in Iraq. For
more information about Samir and the IFC, please visit
<a href="http://www.westernmassafsc.org/vwb/vwb_Jun06.pdf" eudora="autourl"><font color="#0000FF"><u>http://www.westernmassafsc.org/vwb/vwb_Jun06.pdf<br>
</a></u></font>to access Beth Adel's article about the IFC in the June
issue of the Valley War Bulletin. AFSC is charting a response
now. I will keep you informed.<br>
<br>
Jo<br>
<br>
<br>
<blockquote type=cite cite><font face="Times New Roman, Times">TO:
Jo</font><br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">RE: US Raid
on Iraq Freedom Congress Baghdad Offices</font> <br>
<br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">I just received information about
last weeks raid by US troops on the Baghdad office of the Iraq Freedom
Congress. I have also included a statement released by ZENKO the
group in Japan that invited me to their conference in August. We
need to respond ASAP.<br>
</font><br>
<br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">In Solidarity With The Iraq Freedom
Congress (14 August)</font> <br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times" color="#0000FF"><u><a href="http://www.afsc.org/iraq/news/2006/08/in-solidarity-with-iraq-freedom.htm">http://www.afsc.org/iraq/news/2006/08/in-solidarity-with-iraq-freedom.htm</a></u></font>
<br>
<br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">Iraq Freedom Congress (20 June)</font> <br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times" color="#0000FF"><u><a href="http://www.afsc.org/iraq/news/2006/06/iraq-freedom-congress.htm">http://www.afsc.org/iraq/news/2006/06/iraq-freedom-congress.htm</a></u></font> <br>
<br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">Beyond Dictators and Occupation: A Way Forward in Iraq (May)</font> <br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times" color="#0000FF"><u><a href="http://www.afsc.org/iraq/news/2006/04/beyond-dictators-and-occupation-way.htm">http://www.afsc.org/iraq/news/2006/04/beyond-dictators-and-occupation-way.htm</a></u></font> <br>
<br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">*****</font> <br>
<br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">US troops raid IFC head office in Baghdad</font> <br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times" color="#0000FF"><u><a href="http://www.ifcongress.com/English/News/Sep06/us-ifc.htm">http://www.ifcongress.com/English/News/Sep06/us-ifc.htm</a></u></font> <br>
<br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">On September 7 and 8, U.S. troops raided the IFC head office in Baghdad. The raid came after a series of IFC civil activities against the occupation. The troops were outraged when they saw the anti-occupation banners and posters showing international solidarity with Iraqi people hanging on the walls. They reacted violently and broke all internal doors, destroyed furniture, and confiscated most of the office property.<br>
</font><br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">This cruel act is not a surprise to anyone familiar with U.S. administration policy which is to eliminate its opponents by all means. These kinds of acts reveal the true face of the occupation and its hypocrisy about freedom and democracy they brought to the Iraqi people. These acts actually demonstrate the fact that the complete destruction of Iraq and daily genocide are the implication of this brutal policy and it can be achieved only by breaking the people will who are eager for freedom. <br>
</font><br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">As the U.S.-led occupation unleashed the sectarian gangs to take control of the society, it attempts to tighten its grip around the libertarian forces who oppose its projects and presence in Iraq. It turns a blind eyes to the daily killing of civilians in broad daylight and the sectarian cleansing that is conducted by groups whom it supports and uses the Iraqi wealth to oppress Iraqis. <br>
</font><br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">The occupation along with its puppet government in Iraq has failed miserably to bring security and basic civil services to Iraq. These vicious acts are the normal reaction to these failures. <br>
</font><br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">As Iraq Freedom Congress condemns those kinds of acts, it declares that it will continue the pace to struggle to end the occupation. There will be no security and stability without ending the occupation.<br>
</font><br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">Down with the occupation s brutal acts</font> <br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">Long live Iraqis struggle for freedom</font> <br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">Long live Iraq Freedom Congress </font> <br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times"> </font> <br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">Iraq Freedom Congress</font> <br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">September 9, 2006</font> <br>
<br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">***</font> <br>
<br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">Statement from ZENKO</font> <br>
<br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">Dear Samir Adil, president of IFC</font> <br>
<br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">We condemn the brutal raid to IFC head office by US army and express our deepest solidarity with IFC. We support the strike of Southern Oil Company Union and the strike of the employers of Al aadamya branch of Municipality of Baghdad.<br>
</font><br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">We will stand up to demand immediate withdrawal of all occupying forces from Iraq on 24 September 2006.</font> <br>
<br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">In Solidarity</font> <br>
<br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">YAMAKAWA Yoshiyasu</font> <br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">representative of ZENKO(National Assembly for Peace and Democracy, Japan)</font> <br>
<br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">MORI, Fumihiro</font> <br>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">co-chairperson of the Committee for Solidarity with Civil Resistance of Iraq</font> </blockquote><br>
<font face="Arial Narrow, Helvetica" size=2><br>
<br>
</font><font face="Arial Narrow, Helvetica">"What would happen if one woman told the truth about her life?<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>The world would split open" ~ Muriel Rukeyser<br>
<br>
<br>
</font><font face="Garamond"><b>Jo Comerford<br>
</b>American Friends Service Committee, Western Massachusetts<br>
140 Pine Street, Room 10<br>
Florence, Massachusetts 01062<br>
413.584.8975 (W)<br>
413.584.8987 (F)<br>
413.695.6059 (C)<br>
afsc@crocker.com<br>
<a href="http://www.westernmassafsc.org/" eudora="autourl">www.WesternMassAFSC.org</a><br>
<br>
</font><font size=1><i>New Resource: <br>
</i><b>Ten Reasons Why the US Must Leave Iraq: <br>
</b></font><font size=1 color="#0000FF"><u><a href="http://www.afsc.org/iraq/activism/10-reasons.pdf" eudora="autourl">http://www.afsc.org/iraq/activism/10-reasons.pdf</a></u></font><font size=1> <br>
</font><font size=1 color="#0000FF"><u><a href="http://www.afsc.org/iraq/activism/10-reasons.htm" eudora="autourl">http://www.afsc.org/iraq/activism/10-reasons.htm</a></u></font><font size=1> (Text)<br>
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